According to the latest results of the dental check-ups carried out by the Ludwigsburg health authority, only 58% of all first-graders have naturally healthy teeth, i.e. free from fillings and tooth decay. This means that almost half of all 6-7-year-old children have already experienced tooth decay. "Unfortunately, the dental health of our first-graders in the district is not as good as it was a few years ago," says Dr. Karlin Stark, head of the health department. Every third child has at least one or more teeth in their mouth that require treatment, often causing pain and inflammation.
Main responsibility for dental hygiene remains at home
Tooth decay does not develop overnight. Rather, it is a longer process. The first defects appear as early as kindergarten age, but often only become visible as tooth decay at primary school age. Brushing teeth in daycare centers is therefore an important additional building block in keeping children's teeth healthy by teaching children the importance of the ritual and providing the teeth with a further protective fluoride impulse via toothpaste. However, the main responsibility for dental care remains with the parents to brush their children's teeth in the morning and evening.
In our busy everyday lives, it can happen that there is no time left for brushing teeth at home and children arrive at kindergarten in the morning with unbrushed teeth. This means that children's teeth are not brushed for many hours. This has a negative impact on dental health, especially if children stay at the facility until the afternoon and eat several meals there.
Hygiene guide advises brushing teeth in kindergarten
Before the coronavirus pandemic, brushing teeth was still a fixed part of the daily routine in significantly more daycare centers in the Ludwigsburg district. In order to ensure equal opportunities for all children, the "Hygiene guidelines for daycare centers" published by the state health department strongly recommend brushing teeth in daycare centers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those educators who offer their children this opportunity to keep their teeth healthy, in addition to so many other tasks and requirements.
